Merck relaunches customer collaboration centers with new concept and M Lab name

Merck's M Lab Collaboration Centers offer customers the opportunity to explore, learn and collaborate at the company's global network of sites around the world, solving the challenges they face every day.

Enables explorations of new technologies and solutions to address development and manufacturing challenges.

Formerly known as biomanufacturing science training centers, the new state-of-the-art M Lab concept will include a simulated manufacturing environment that provides customers a setting that fosters education and full end-to-end development support. The centers are created especially for customer collaboration in which problem solving for processing issues take place. Customers participate in product demonstrations, hands-on training and experiments, as well as apply best practices and new approaches to develop, optimize and scale-up processes and simplify global technology transfer.

"We are the only company that offers full end-to-end process training, and we do it side-by-side with our customers, working together to solve critical challenges," said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science.

Now reimagined and reengineered as M Lab Collaboration Centers, Merck has taken its industry-leading concept to the next level by creating unique and inspiring settings where customers can explore new ways to increase productivity and improve processes in close collaboration Merck's team of experts.

"These centers have been an important resource for our customers and the biopharma industry for more than two decades and will continue to be important as we grow," Batra added.

Merck unveiled its first remodeled center in Tokyo, Japan on 29 June 2016. The network, established in 1995, will also include locations in Brazil, China, France, India, Singapore, South Korea and the United States. Formal relaunch of these centers will take place throughout the remainder of 2016 and 2017 with openings of the new M Lab concept in France, India, China, South Korea and the US.

Each center will welcome customers, collaborators from government, academia, regulatory bodies and industry associations, offering application best practices and knowledge sharing tailored to address the specific needs of the local biomanufacturing industry. Customers will have access to sizing and simulation tools and methodologies as well as analytical and modeling support. Hands-on and classroom-style training sessions and education programs are also provided.